DTE Energy and General Motors Unveil Largest Solar Array on a GM Site in Michigan

DTE Energy, the state’s largest investor in renewable energy, has completed installation of a 900-kilowatt solar array at GM’s Warren Transmission plant. The array is the largest solar installation at a GM site in Michigan and brings DTE’s operational solar sites to 28. DTE has three additional large scale solar arrays under construction in the cities of Detroit and Lapeer.

“DTE is proud to be the state’s largest investor in solar and wind, having driven investments of $2 billion since 2008,” said Irene Dimitry, vice president of business and development for DTE Energy. “These investments are helping us reduce greenhouse gases while enabling DTE to continue delivering safe, affordable and reliable energy for our 2.2 million customers. We are excited to be here today to celebrate the completion of this project and our partnership with General Motors.”

GM recently announced its commitment to meet the electricity needs of its global operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. This goal is part of the company’s overall approach to strengthening its business, improving communities and addressing its impact on the climate.

“By partnering with DTE on this solar array, GM is helping bring green energy options to the Warren community,” said Rob Threlkeld, GM’s global manager of renewable energy. “Projects like these help GM better serve society by reducing environmental impacts.”

DTE owns the 2,862 panel-array, which was installed on 4.25 acres of a parking lot leased from GM Warren Transmission. The solar array will generate approximately 1.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, the energy equivalent to powering the annual electricity needs of about 155 homes in southeast Michigan.

Today, DTE’s renewable energy portfolio includes 12 wind parks and 28 solar arrays in Michigan. In 2015, more than 10 percent of the electricity provided by DTE was generated from a renewable source in Michigan – enough clean energy to power more than 400,000 homes.